Saving Me From The Darkness
by SilverRose24
Summary: Bella can't move on from her depression cycle after Edward left. Charlie gets an offer to work in Mystic Falls. There she meets the gang and friendships are formed, secrets are discovered, old friends return and new love is in the air. Damon finds Bella both mysterious and intriguing. Can he heal her broken heart? And will he lose his in the process?
1. Saving Me

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Twilight or Vampire Diaries. It belongs solely to the talented Stephanie Meyer and the TVD authors and producers.**

**Chapter 1**

**Saving Me**

Pain. That was all that she could feel. It was all that she ever felt now. It consumed and wrecked her, similarly to how fire ruins everything in its path. Pain was her drug and she was addicted to it, because if she didn't have that pain to remind her of the heartbreak that HE caused, she would never believe that HE actually existed, and was not some figment of her imagination.

She could not breathe, for every breath she took she felt as though a thousand needles were stabbing at her heart. She could not move, for if she did, that gaping, swirling, torturous hole in her side would open up and the pain would consume her even more than it already did. It hurt to move, or to do anything really but her life was pointless, meaningless now. Nothing would ever fill the void and emptiness that HE left behind.

She sat, catatonic and zombie-like, never stirring or moving from the rocking chair unless it was to the bed or the bathroom and back. Occasionally if the pain was bearable, she would amble down to the kitchen- for a drink of water and nothing else. Starvation ate at her like the plague, but it didn't matter, nothing mattered anymore. For HE was gone.

Forever.

And HE was never coming back.

So she would sit in the rocking chair looking out the window, but never focusing on anything outside. And that was how her time went by, with her withering away like a wilting flower, her mind locked away in the past, reliving the moments of her life with HIM.

Sometimes she would remember Alice too, and think about whether or not she would get visions of her in this lifeless and unhealthy condition. Could she feel the pain that their leaving had caused her? Or would she just ignore it and carry on with her perfect vampire existence. It seems like Alice had moved on, since she never returns any of her calls or emails.

Sometimes the hurt and betrayal from the rest of the family hurt worse than the pain left by HIM. They had just packed up and vanished without a second thought about her? Did Esme and Carlisle not care for her like a daughter anymore? Was Emmett not worried about his younger sister and her clumsiness?

Just thinking about them brought back that stabbing chest pain. Did they not care about what happened to her at all, or was she now just a passing memory to them? They had embraced her and made her feel like a part of the family. Or was that all part of the plan as well? An elaborate act to fool the silly human into thinking that she mattered to them. To HIM.

And so she sat, never moving never stirring.

...

"Bella I'm home, and I brought Harry's famous fish so we didn't have to order out tonight. Again" shouted Charlie as he entered the house, slamming the door behind him. Sighing, he walked into the kitchen as he didn't hear a reply, and busied himself with getting dinner ready. For one person.

Bella never ate anything anymore besides a drink of water and the occasional pop-tart, but that too was a forced bite or two and the rest always ended up in the trash can.

Charlie squared his shoulders and stood at the bottom of the staircase debating whether to go up or not. He was not the type of person to show his emotions easily and was never the touchy feely guy but this was the limit. It had been almost a month since the Cullen family had left town, and he could count the amount of times that Bella ventured outside of her room.

He took a deep breath and made his way up towards her room. Knocking softly on the door he waited for a few moments before entering. Bella sat crossed leg on her bed picking at a few loose threads from the blanket but did not lift her head or acknowledge Charlie's presence in the room at all. He cleared his throat nervously and made his way over to the bed. Gently sitting down on the edge so as not to disturb or scare Bella, he placed his hand comfortingly on her knee and waited.

"Bells" he said gruffly. No answer.

He sighed and carried on, "Bella, I know you going through and dealing with a rough patch right now, believe me I understand completely, I went through the same thing when your mother left. I had planned out our entire life together. What we would do, the vacations we would go on, what type of father-daughter things you and I would do together. Hell I even decided when I would retire. And that all changed when your mother walked out that door with you, and I had to rethink my entire life all over again and it wasn't easy. But Bells, this has got to stop. What you are doing to yourself is unhealthy and it's slowly taking you away. You are beginning to fade right before my eyes and I hate that I can't do anything about it. You are my little girl and I can't stand to lose you again. So please, for the sake of your old man, just try" pleaded Charlie as a few tears made its way down and onto his hands. He blinked away the moisture in his eyes and rubbed away the remainder of the tears. He hadn't even realized he was crying, but then this was his little girl he was worried about.

He glanced at Bella, but she remained still and focused on the loose treads in front of her. He sighed as he looked over her small and frail form, the unhealthy way in which her clothes hung off her body and the dark circles underneath her hollow eyes. He removed his hand from her knee, gave her a swift kiss on the forehead and got off the bed and walked out the room, closing the door gently behind him.

Making his way to the kitchen he grabbed a beer from the fridge, all hunger forgotten and headed towards the sofa to catch up on the daily sports news. He couldn't help but think of the state his little girl was in. Granted she was no longer a child, but she was his little girl and he hated the feeling of helplessness he got whenever he looked at Bella. If he ever saw that Cullen kid again, that boy would meet with the end of his fists and gun and it wouldn't be pretty sight.

He glanced up at the ceiling as he heard shuffling from Bella's room. She was getting ready for bed and he mentally and emotionally braced himself for the episode of nightmares that they both would endure tonight. He just hoped and wished for a miracle that would let Bella heal soon.

...

Bella let out a deep breathe that she hadn't known she was holding as soon the door closed behind Charlie. She had heard everything he had to say, and the pain that she felt when she listened to how terrified and scared his voice sounded for her, almost broke her already broken heart into smaller pieces. She knew how much this was affecting Charlie as well, but she just could not bring herself to get out of this state that she was in. And it was all HIS fault.

She shut her eyes and blinked away the tears that she could feel were coming on, she promised herself that she would never cry, because once she started she felt like she would never be able to stop them from flowing.

She knew the toll that this must be having on both herself and Charlie, he was living off take-out food and she none, and she so wished for a way, a sign, even a miracle to help bring her out of this depression. She was consumed in this bleak darkness and despair, and she longed for a way out- if not for herself then for Charlie's sake at least.

She got off the bed and made her way under the covers, being in this state takes a lot of whatever remaining energy you have, be it mental or emotional, and she was exhausted. Settling herself in, she glanced up at the ceiling and took in a deep breath. This was the scary part of her depression cycle, the nightmares.

No matter what she did, they always kept coming back each and every night, it was as if her mind didn't want her to forget at all. She would fall into a slumber only to be thrown into a nightmare consisting of HIM and the night that HE left her all alone in the forest, heartbroken and cold. She would always wake up screaming and panting, drenched in sweat with Charlie holding her tight in his embrace, whispering that it was all okay and that he has her safe and sound.

She closed her eyes with one last prayer hoping that tonight would be different.

And it was.


	2. In Need Of A Saviour

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Twilight or The Vampire Diaries. It all belongs solely to the talented Stephanie Meyer and the TVD author and producers.**

* * *

><p><strong>Thank you to all who followed and reviewed the story. It is my first so the feedback was much appreciated. I have the outline of the story, but updates might be slightly slow since I am starting my final university exams this Friday! Can't help inspiration, but I will try my best.<strong>

**...**

**In Need Of A Saviour **

Charlie woke with a start as a sudden piercing scream echoed throughout the house. His sleep forgotten as he rushed up the stairs towards Bella's room. Slamming open the door he hurried over towards the bed and tried to get Bella to wake up from her nightmare.

"Bella" he cried out as she furiously thrashed around on the bed, screaming and panting. "Bella wake up, it's me Charlie and I got you Bells, you safe now" he shouted as he tried to shake her awake. Tonight it seemed as though she had the worst nightmare so far, and that was saying something as each one seemed scarier to him than the last.

"No! Don't leave me please, I beg you" she cried out furiously, "I promise not to tell them, don't hurt me. NO!" screamed Bella as she continuously trashed about ignoring the pleas and cries from Charlie. As suddenly as they started, they stopped just the same. Bella lay still and sweaty, the only indicator of what just transpired, being the heaving and ragged breaths from both her and Charlie.

Charlie slumped down against the bedside running a shaky hand through his hair. His heart was pounding as he tried to regain his breath as he stared at Bella's silent form. Tonight, he could tell, was one of those nightmares that frightened her the most. He could understand the first part, her begging that Cullen kid not to leave her, she really did love him, as much as he hated to admit it, but it was the second part that threw him off.

"_I promise not to tell them, don't hurt me." _What was Bella talking about? Was she hiding some secret that she did not want him to know about? If so, was her keeping this secret putting her in danger, since she obviously seemed like she was threatened or coerced into keeping it to herself.

He sighed as he looked over her once again, his heart breaking as he took in the way she clutched the pillow tightly to herself, as if letting go would bring about another round of horrors. Placing his hand on Bella's forehead he soothed back her hair and covered her up nicely, hoping that she could at least get a few more hours of sleep.

"Sleep would do her some good, however little it may be" he thought to himself bitterly as he left her room silently, leaving the door slightly open so he could keep an ear out for any more disturbances. He made his way downstairs and towards the kitchen for a chilled beer, when he glanced at the clock and stopped dead in his tracks surprised.

_It was 4 a.m._

He changed his mind and made a pot of coffee instead of having that beer.

It also meant that Bella had slept through most of the night without any disturbances. He had slept without any disturbances. It was the first time since that day that they both got this much sleep, granted that Bella had a nightmare not less than ten minutes ago, but this was progress in a weird twisted way, he thought. He grabbed a cup and made his coffee and headed towards the TV to catch up on some baseball before he needed to head to the station.

…

As soon as she closed her eyes, within seconds she had drifted off to sleep. The exhaustion taking over and lulling her mind into a false sense of security and comfort. The tricks and games that her mind played on her left her more confused and tired than anything else. She wanted to forget. No, she _needed_ to forget. But that seemed like it was never going to happen any time soon. She just wished that it didn't affect Charlie as much as it affected her. She knew he spent most of his nights sleeping on the couch or on the floor by her bedside, but she just couldn't help it. As much as she tried to keep it all in, she couldn't stop the screams from leaving her mouth as the agonising pain took over and controlled her. The once happy moments that she spent with HIM and HIS family now haunted her as horrific nightmares.

Tonight was the same, but the dream was different than before.

It started of the same way, with HIM breaking up with her in the woods, and leaving her all alone to follow and stumble after him, all while shouting and begging for him to not leave her, when it suddenly changed to a different scene. In it she was sitting outside on a porch swing, dressed in a sundress and enjoying the sunlight and the way it warmed her skin, when the red-headed vampire appeared, ready to take her revenge for her mate's death. She made for Bella and held her up by her throat, cutting off her oxygen supply and smirking at her.

"Well well if it isn't the pathetic little human pet, what are you doing all alone without your precious Cullen's to protect you, huh" Victoria snarled evilly at her. She laughed and threw Bella into the swing set, breaking it and dislocating her shoulder in the process. "Who's going to protect you from me now huh, Bella."

"Please Victoria" she cried out, "I didn't mean for James to die. Please don't kill me, I promise not to tell the Cull- them about it." "Now where's the fun in that, pet? Or are you too afraid to die? But you will die today, and at my hands" Victoria snarled viciously and made to move towards Bella when her path was suddenly blocked by a tall, dark figure.

"_You will not touch_ _Isabella_" the figure snarled back furiously in a deadly but soothing voice, and Bella could not help the shiver that ran down her spine at his words, and she could see the barely restrained fury that rolled of him in waves. Victoria's eyes widened as she too realised this, and before Bella could see the face of the stranger with the deadly voice, Charlie's voice interrupted her dreams reminding her that she was still in Forks where it rained all the time and that the sunny image in her head was just part of her nightmare.

Once she settled back down and reminded herself that it was just a nightmare, she heard Charlie shuffling around her and leaving the room. She waited for a few minutes before opening her eyes and letting it adjust to the darkness, before sitting up and thinking about what just happened. It felt _real_. It felt as though she knew that was going to happen, and that the tall, dark figure with the deadly voice was going to be her Saviour, her protector against Victoria. But how could it be, when she didn't even know who he was, or where that dream took place.

She sighed as she leaned back against the headboard and took in a deep breath, relaxing slightly as she exhaled. Her mind was at it again. Fooling her. Making her think and believe what it wanted her to. She was never going to get out of this cycle, unless she got some serious help. But what could she do, walk up to a random therapist and say "My vampire boyfriend dumped me, his vampire family chucked me to the curb and now I'm having weird dreams where a red-headed vampire is after my blood, literally." She chuckled darkly as she thought about the expressions on their faces, and how they would immediately lock her up in a padded white cell under constant observation, like an animal on display at the zoo.

She got out of the bed and headed towards the bathroom, where she went about doing her morning routine. As she headed back to her room, something caught her eye and she stopped at the landing and peeped down to check it out. It was Charlie lying on the sofa, sound asleep with a half-forgotten cup of coffee in his hand. As Bella contemplated heading down to cover him up, a sudden shrill alarm sounded, startling her and making her heart skip a few beats.

She had heard that alarm after so long that she had forgotten Charlie even had one. But what startled her more was the fact that between her nightmare, the time that she was awake and the trip to the bathroom- it must have been an hour at the most. Glancing at the clock on the kitchen wall she realised with a shock that it was 5 a.m.

_5 a.m. _

That meant that for the first time since HE left, she had actual slept before her usual horror flashback episode. Not only did she sleep, but Charlie did as well and she felt a small flicker of hope inside her, that maybe, just maybe she was going to get through this. She heard Charlie groan and shuffle around and she headed back to her room as quietly as possible. It wouldn't be fair to give Charlie hope that she was going to be alright, when she herself didn't dare to hope too much.

…

**Mystic Falls**

Liz Forbes was a woman with a mission. Heck, she was on a mission. There were suspicious animal attacks going on in_ her _town, and she would be damned if she didn't get to the bottom of this matter. If they thought Caroline was bad at bossing people around, then they sure as hell had no idea what they were in for when it was time for her to deal with them. Or it. Or whatever the blasted thing was.

She gripped the steering wheel tightly, her knuckles turning white as she fumed with anger. How dare they?! As if she didn't have enough to deal with, with having vampires, witches and werewolves running around town, on top of that the stupid council with their so-called issues and concerns and now she had this to take care off. She huffed with frustration as she neared the Salvatore boarding house and made her way up the driveway.

Stefan answered the door as soon as he heard a car pulling up. He raised his eyebrows in surprise as Liz got off the car and made her way over to him.

"Sheriff Forbes, what a pleasant surprise" Stefan said sounding mildly curious as to why she was here. He didn't have anything against her, it was just that she hardly ever came to the boarding house, preferring to speak over the phone and meeting elsewhere, not that he would blame her, seeing as how her last experience here ended up with her being drained off the vervain in her system.

"Stefan, is Damon in and please it's Liz?" she answered warmly, entering the house and making her way towards the seating area.

"I'm sorry I know it's early but there's a situation, and I need his help. Well all of you guys' help if you are willing to"

"Sure Liz no problem, let me just get Damon for you. Would you like a drink in the meanwhile?" Stefan asked.

"Scotch please" she answered with a grin.

"Wow, must be some situation huh" he replied with a grim smile as he handed her the glass of scotch.

"You have no idea, Stefan. Although I'm hoping you will get some leads. Your investigation is much more thorough than mine anyways" she answered with a nervous laugh. Stefan nodded as he headed out to get Damon.

"Mom, what are you doing here?" Caroline asked, surprise evident in her voice. She had just come down the stairs when she heard her mother and Stefan talking.

"I thought you were going to the station" she said as she walked in and settled down next to her mother on the couch.

"I think the better question is, what are you doing here? I thought you'd be on your way to school by now" Liz asked equally surprised.

"Mom", Caroline replied with a roll of her eyes, "the boarding house is the only house in Mystic Falls not connected to the main water system, hence no vervain, meaning I can have a nice shower in peace without worrying about burning my skin off" she ended off in a huff.

"Oh" was all Liz had time to say as Damon entered the exact same time, Stefan in tow.

"Liz, just my favourite council person to see as soon as I open my eyes" Damon said with a smirk in place as he made his way over to the cabinet and poured himself a glass of Bourbon.

"Now my day is officially ruined" he grumbled.

"Damon" Liz replied with no sympathy in her voice at all, meaning she hadn't taken his words to heart.

"I'm sorry to drop by like this, but I need your help. There's been some attacks recently"

The atmosphere in the room immediately changed. Caroline glanced worriedly between her mother and the two brothers, while Stefan and Damon shared a quick glance before turning their attention back to Sheriff Forbes.

"When you say attacks, do you mean like animal attacks?" Stefan asked, worry evident in his calm voice.

"Of course she means animal attacks, Bambi otherwise she won't be here would she, genius" Damon sarcastically shot back as he downed the rest of his drink.

"There goes my carefree day" he thought to himself before turning back to Liz and asking the question that was on everyone's mind.

"Do you know what it is?"

"No, but I do know that it definitely isn't a vampire bite for sure. I can't say about werewolf though, seems too mangled to make out" Liz replied with a shudder looking a bit sick.

"Well I can't promise anything as yet, since we don't even know what this beast is, but we'll look into it, won't we _Damon_" Stefan said with a warning tone in his voice that was obviously directed towards Damon.

"Yes of course, anything for good 'ol Liz." Damon replied with his trademark smirk in place.

"Thank you, both of you." Liz said sincerely. The sound of Caroline clearing her throat brought their attention back to her.

"Of course I'm also helping, thanks for asking by the way, MOM" she said with that tone of finality that said 'I dare you to argue'.

She raised her eyebrows as Liz gave her a shocked look, and then smiled brightly as her mother's shoulders sagged and she let out a resigned breath knowing that she couldn't exactly argue with Caroline on this matter, as it was technically her problem as well.

Stefan chuckled as he watched the interaction between the two Forbes women, and Damon rolled his eyes as he poured himself another glass of Bourbon.

"Well since we don't know what we dealing with here right now, we might need all the help we can get, I can arrange for a close friend of mine to come down and help with the case. He is an expert on animal attacks, and the Mayor will be down our backs wondering why we aren't calling outside help since this is the third attack so far, in this month." Liz said once she was sure everyone was on board with the investigation.

Damon huffed as he muttered something about Carol under his breath and Caroline shot him a glare, but he nodded along to Liz's suggestion.

"It might make us council members look good too, like we are actually doing something other than poisoning the water supply of this godforsaken town with vervain" he replied harshly.

"Who is this friend of yours anyway" Caroline asked full of curiosity.

"Charlie Swan"

…


	3. Hope In The Form Of A Letter

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Twilight or TVD. It all belongs solely to the talented Stephanie Meyer and the TVD author and producers.**

* * *

><p><strong>Hope In The Form Of A Letter<strong>

**...**

**Mystic Falls at the Grill**

"Okay so I dug around and found out everything I could about Charlie Swan and it turns out, he's a pretty decent guy. Graduated from the academy with mom that's how she knows him, they were total nerds, always competing, and they came out 1st and 2nd respectively. They have history together, please don't ask me about it, its gross discussing your mom's previous love exploits. Also he's divorced, and has an only daughter that's our age. Well technically my age since you are like a hundred and something years old. Where's Elena?" Caroline huffed out as soon as she sat down in the empty chair across from Stefan, who was still trying to process the information that Caroline had just dumped on him.

He was not sure whether it was from the lack of blood in his system, or just Caroline being her usual perky self, but even being a vampire with heightened senses and abilities he needed time to process that.

"Sorry what did you say" Stefan asked quizzically. Caroline rolled her eyes in exasperation.

"I asked where's Elena, I thought she was joining us for lunch"

"Oh, well she had some things to do with Bonnie so they both left after school, and she said to tell you there's a sleepover tonight at her house and that you better be there with your famous brownies at 8." Stefan relayed the message to her as the waiter brought over their food and drinks.

"And I already ordered before you got here, I hope you don't mind. I did get your usual though."

"Thanks, you the best" Caroline grinned back at him as she dug into her meal

"The Grill seems awfully empty today don't you think Stefan, I mean it's after 2pm and there are only a handful of people around" Caroline observed as she took a sip of her cocktail drink.

"Well I think it has something to do with these animal attacks that are happening, lately people are becoming a bit more careful with their safety" he mused, his voice full of irony, earning a chuckle from Caroline.

"Anyways you were saying something about Charlie Swan" Stefan suggested as he stole a fry from Caroline's plate.

"Hey!" she accused playfully and carried on.

"Well he seems like your average guy but his record says he's pretty good with handling cases like animal attacks, apparently it's a frequent thing over at Forks, that where he lives. Also he's Chief of the Police Force back home so he's got a pretty good track going." Caroline summed up as she mentally went over all the details that she had gathered, thinking if she left out any bits of information.

"And his daughter?" Stefan inquired.

"Anything special on her?"

"Not that I could find, just that her name is Isabella and she used to live in Phoenix and when her mom remarried, she moved back to Forks to stay with Charlie."

"Wow Barbie, do you always snoop around in other people's personal lives, or it an acquired vampire trait that suddenly bloomed into existence?" Damon sarcastically asked as he took a seat besides Stefan and stole a fry from Caroline's plate.

"Hey! What is it with you both stealing my food, get your own plate. And for your kind information Stefan asked me to check up on them. Ha!" Caroline shot back at him with a smirk.

"What? Saint Stefan told you so. Did you mistakenly have human blood today, brother? Darn it, I always forget to keep the veggie bags separate" he said while squinting at Stefan to see if he could tell a difference.

"Ha ha very funny Damon, I just wanted to be sure and find out everything that we could beforehand, I mean we haven't come across this sort of attack and to be honest we don't have much of a clue or a head start to begin with." Stefan reasoned while Caroline agreed with him.

"Excuse me" Damon huffed indigently as Caroline and Stefan both looked at him with blank eyes.

"I'll have you know that I sat in the most boring 2 hour council meeting of my entire existence to find out exactly what the hell is going on here. Trust me you do not want to be anywhere near Carol Lockwood right now, she is just pure torture, urgh!" he exclaimed to the two of them shuddering.

"So" retorted Caroline.

"Soooo" imitated Damon raising an eyebrow towards her.

"So what did you find out at the meeting Damon" she ground out between her teeth while mentally counting up to one hundred, so as not to give in to the satisfactory urge of reaching across the table and snapping his neck.

"Oh that, why didn't you say so, Care. Nothing." He shrugged while stealing another one of her fries.

"Nothing" said Stefan surprised by his brother's words.

"You mean even the council doesn't have a clue into what's going on?" he questioned Damon curiously.

"Nope, and it doesn't look like they getting an answer anytime soon" he smirked back at them, his blue eyes sparkling with mirth.

"Well I hope Chief Swan has better luck at cracking this case than we do" Caroline grumbled at her two companions, slumping down in her chair.

…

**Forks **

"Hey Chief! This came for you in the mail early this morning" said a fellow officer as Charlie entered the station and headed towards his desk.

On his way he grabbed the letter out of the officer's hand and shouted out a quick thanks as he settled in his seat and stared at the envelope. It was addressed to him alright, but who would send him a letter? Everyone here knows him by name and they always brought their issues to him face to face. Sighing he tore open the envelope and removed the letter, quickly opening it up to see what it was all about. He froze as he stared at the familiar handwriting that covered the page. He would recognise that writing style anywhere, he could also tell that it was written in haste, judging by the pressured writing on the page. Shaking his head to clear the memories that came rushing back, he focused on the task before him and read.

_**Dear Charlie**_

_**How are you? That's a silly question considering you are the Chief of Police, don't worry I wasn't spying I enquired before sending this letter. How's little Bella doing? Although I doubt she's still the little girl that I remember.**_

_**Anyways I'm sending you this letter because I have a case that has stumped me and I need your help in figuring it out. There's been a series of animal attacks around Mystic Falls, three this past month and the bodies are too mangled to tell what caused it. My department and I are at wits end with this case and we would appreciate all the help that we could get. Please Charlie I know I'm asking you for a huge favour, but I really need your help. Consider it for old times' sake. If you do decide to accept, I am willing to offer you a permanent position on my force as Deputy Sheriff, and I can guarantee you that Bella will be granted an immediate acceptance into Mystic Falls High School as soon as you give me the green light. **_

_**You have my contact details. You have until tomorrow noon to think about it. I need an answer by Friday latest.**_

_**Liz **_

Liz Forbes had contacted him after many long years. He could still remember the last time that they had spoken, and the words that were exchanged between the once close friends had not been kind.

He realised that one could never quite outrun or forget the past, you could only bury the memories for so long until they bubbled to the surface. But now was not the time to ponder over what had been said and done all those years ago.

Liz needed his help and he needed to decide whether or not to accept the olive branch that she had extended to him. Forks had been his home for many years, he was comfortable here, and he had built his life in this small town, made lifelong friends with Billy and the others on the reservation.

But in the dead of the night when he laid in bed staring at the ceiling unable to sleep, he would always wonder what his life would have been like if he hadn't turned his back on Mystic Falls all those years ago. Then he thought about his little girl Bella, and realised that if he didn't walk away he would never have had her in his life. The one thing that completed him and made all the troubles worthwhile.

He ran his hand over his face tiredly, this was a discussion and decision that needed to be made at home, with Bella. He briefly wondered what she would have to say about this offer, but then remembered that she hardly spoke a word anymore. Nevertheless, it wouldn't hurt to try and initiate a conversation with her, even if it would be one-sided at the most.

He shoved the letter in his coat pocket and pushed away all thoughts of Liz and Mystic Falls from his mind as he stared ahead at the impending pile of paperwork that was neatly placed on his desk. He groaned as he picked up his pen and began reviewing the files.

"Just an ordinary normal day in Forks" he muttered as he made himself comfortable for what he knew would be a long day ahead.

…

Bella stood still in the doorway of her bedroom as the door closed with a soft click behind her. She glanced around the room taking in her surroundings for the first time in days. The curtains were drawn shut, clutter littered the floor and she did not want to even glance at the enormous pile of clothing thrown on the bedside table and chair. Her eyes widened in surprise as she ran her finger along the edge of the desk, only to come across an unhealthy layer of dust.

"How did I become this type of person?" she thought bitterly to herself as she made her way further into the room examining what used to be her old bedroom.

"Did I really just give up on everything since that day happened? What about Charlie, how is he handling all of this", she wondered as she sat down on the edge of her bed, deep in thought.

"This has got to stop, I can't keep doing this to myself and Charlie anymore, he deserves better than this" she muttered as she stood up and made her way out the room and down towards the kitchen for all the cleaning supplies.

She would clean up her room first, then tackle the rest of the house, for right now she very much needed any sort of distraction until she could think of something that would benefit them both.

Bella walked back to her room and immediately drew open the curtains, causing the bright sunlight to flood the room, it looked good she thought, as she shielded her eyes away from the glaring light still trying to adjust to the sudden brightness. It signified a kind of hope. Like the light at the end of the tunnel.

She immediately set to work trying to clean up and make the room fit for inhabitation. After almost an hour and a half, she was done. Bella heaved a sigh of relief as she fell back onto her newly sheeted bed and inhaled the fresh scent of new bedding. This was a new start for her, in a small way, it signified her taking initiative and trying to move on from whatever HE had done. Snuggling down further into the bed, Bella let out a content sigh as she closed her eyes enjoying the warm afternoon sunlight on her skin.

She hadn't realised when she had fallen asleep, but soon she was entering a dream that was completely different than her usual ones. In it, she was standing outside a building, the chill of the air around her giving her goose bumps and she could her the blaring sounds of music playing in the background. Before she could examine her surroundings, she heard footsteps, causing her to turn around and face the unknown stranger that stood still in front of her.

"_Isabella" the stranger acknowledged with a nod of his head in her direction._

"_What do you want" Isabella asked roughly, anger lacing her voice._

"_I thought I made it clear that I didn't want to see you."_

"_I know, but I couldn't just leave things the way we left it yesterday. I agree, that I have hurt your feelings by keeping all this a secret from you, but it was for your own protection. I didn't want anything to happen to you. I __**couldn't**__ let anything happen to you" the stranger said, his familiar voice laden with an unnamed emotion. _

"_How could you do this to me" Isabella asked hurt evident in her voice._

"_After everything that I've been through, this is exactly what __**they**__ did to me. I hate being kept in the dark and I definitely hate secrets." _

_The air was thick with emotion as silence fell between the two companions. The stranger took a step forward, and placed a cautious finger under Bella's chin. She slowly raised her head, her teary eyes meeting his for the first time that night. Brown met blue, and before she could even blink, the hot tears spilled over. She let out a sob as the stranger carefully wiped away the tears and slowly pulled her in for a hug. She wrapped herself in his warm, comforting embrace and let the tears run its course, as the stranger whispered soothing words to calm her down. They stood like that for a few minutes, before Bella pulled out of the embrace and took a deep breath of the cool air to help calm her nerves. _

"_Thank you" she murmured softly._

"_I'm sorry" the stranger said honestly. His usually loud and obnoxious voice soft this time._

_Bella looked back at him and smiled. He smirked back, already knowing that she had forgiven him as soon as she let him pull her in for a hug. _

"_Although I would prefer if you didn't tell anyone about this little apology stunt, especially my brother, he would never let me live it down" he said sarcastically. _

_Bella rolled her eyes and said "Come on, let's go back in and enjoy the party otherwise__** I**__ won't hear the end of it if Caroline finds out that I bailed on her." _

_The stranger's smirk grew as he threw his arm around her shoulder and the two walked back towards the loud party in comfortable silence. _

Bella woke with a start and a loud gasp, as she quickly sat up and tried to get her breathing back under control. That was the second time in two days that she had this kind of dream. Dreams that revolved around her and this mysterious stranger. A stranger that seemed to protect and care for Bella. One that looked out for her wellbeing. Or so it seemed from the state of her dreams.

"What was going on" she thought as she got off the bed and walked over to the window.

"Why was she having dreams about this man, and who was Caroline?" she thought numbly to herself, she was sure she didn't know anyone by that name, both here and in Phoenix.

She banged the window in frustration and made her way downstairs to the kitchen to fix herself some tea. There was something about this entire situation that she couldn't put her finger on. Why her? As if her life wasn't messed up enough, now she was getting dreams about mysterious people that supposedly know her. And where was this place anyway. It sure as hell didn't look like Forks, or anyplace in Phoenix that she knew of. She groaned in frustration as she banged her down onto the kitchen table.

The sound of keys and the front door opening broke Bella out of her musings, she glanced up just in time to see Charlie enter the passage and hang up his gun, badge and keys.

"Hey dad" Bella called out softly.

Charlie jumped in surprise and spun around to see Bella standing by the kitchen counter, nursing a mug of tea in her hands. He stared at her for a good few minutes before shaking himself out of his stupor and making his way over to the fridge to get himself a cold beer.

"Hey Bells" he replied, "how you doing?"

"Okay I guess, I cleaned out my room today" she answered back uncertainly, realising just how rough and raspy her voice sounded. If Charlie noticed the same, he didn't say.

"That's good, that's excellent. It's a start" he said happily, smiling at Bella for the first time in days.

"Yeah I guess. I'm going to start on the rest of the house tomorrow" Bella answered, happy to see the smile on his face.

"You hungry for pizza?" Charlie asked hesitantly as he sat down across from her. He didn't want to push her too much, but he needed to see her eat something.

"Sure thing" she responded.

"Bells, I uh. I need to ask or discuss something with you. It concerns you as well." He said nervously, as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"Oh, okay. What is it" she asked curiously.

"I got a letter today from an old friend, she's the head of her police force in Mystic Falls, Virginia. She asked me for some help regarding a case of animal attacks that's happening around town."

"I still don't see how it relates to me" Bella said, confusion lacing her voice.

"Well, the offer is that I go down there, with you. The offer is a permanent one. To move down to Mystic Falls. If we do, I also get the position of Deputy Sheriff." Charlie finished in one breathe.

"I see, so if you say yes, then we move from Forks." Bella questioned.

"Yes" Charlie replied looking at Bella intently as he said his next words.

"new place, new start, and new beginnings"

Bella looked up at him as he spoke those words_._

"_A new place, new start and new beginnings" _she thought carefully. Isn't that what we need in our lives at the moment? A fresh start from all this hurt and pain and anguish that was caused. Moving on from all the good and bad memories in this town, the friends that they had both made, some lifelong in Charlie's case.

"What friends do I have", she thought bitterly, thinking of Mike and Lauren and Jessica, and their constant complaining taunts.

"The only friend I think I have is Angela, and I've been blowing her off ever since _that_ day happened". Maybe we do need that fresh start, that new hope that everything is going to finally be alright.

That she was going to be alright.

She knew that Charlie was keen on the move, she could hear the underlining hope in his voice. She also knew that deep down she wanted, no _needed_ it too. If she was ever going to try and move on with her life, she needed a new place with new faces and new friends. Where she could just be Bella Swan without people judging and watching her every move based on the fact that her father is the Chief of Police, or worse, the girl that HE dumped in the forest the day after her disaster birthday.

Bella took in a deep breath and said, "Well then, Mystic Falls here we come."


	4. Revelations

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to Twilight or TVD. It all belongs solely to the talented Stephanie Meyer and the TVD author and producers.**

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><p><em>AN: thank you to all who patiently waited for an update. Exams are finally over. I now have a beta for my story, and she is amazing! Thank you kim67255. I have edited the previous chapters, so there are only a few minor changes. Enjoy!<em>

**Revelations**

The days following the decision to move to Mystic Falls was filled with many mixed feelings from both Charlie and Bella. Although they were very much looking forward to this new phase in their lives, they couldn't help but feel anxious about what to expect from it all.

Charlie was dealing with the prospect of seeing Liz again, and while it was a good thing for the once close friends, it also brought about the dilemma of having to face old memories and decisions that brought them to where they are today. He was torn between wanting to keep it all a secret and telling Bella the entire truth, but he knew she wouldn't believe him, he didn't believe it himself at that time and it took someone almost dying for Charlie to see what was right in front of his eyes.

On the other hand, Bella was more worried about what this would mean for her. Starting a new school in a completely new place with no one familiar to seek comfort from. Also would she be able to make friends and start her life over? A new slate and no strings attached to the past? Would the haunting nightmares finally leave her alone once she left everything behind? Bella knew deep down in her heart that a part of her would never let her forget her time and memories with HIM. As much as it hurt, HE became a part of her world and that is something that she cannot so easily let go off.

Once the decision was made, everything else fell into motion quite quickly afterwards, Bella and Charlie spent almost all of their time packing and sorting their belongings into boxes for the move. Charlie had written back a positive response to Liz the day after discussing things with Bella, and they were expected in Mystic Falls in less than a week's time. Once Liz had gotten word, she started to arrange for a house for the Swan's so that they wouldn't have to lodge at a hotel once they got to town. It was decided that they would sell the house in Forks as they saw no point in keeping it, and the money would then go into Bella's college fund and into the new house.

Once word got around town that Charlie Swan was up and leaving Forks, the rumour mill sprang into action, and both Bella and Charlie were quite amused by the stories that took its rounds within the Forks community. Although you could clearly tell that many of the stories were started by the teens at Forks High.

Especially by Jessica and Lauren. Bella couldn't help but feel the sting of rejection and betrayal by those she once considered her friends, and the rumours that they were throwing around weren't very nice to her either. The only person that Bella had the nerve to call was Angela, and while the girls were never particularly close, Angela was genuinely happy for her and believed that this move was for the best. They promised to keep in contact afterwards and Bella now felt that they could truly become close friends.

Fortunately for Charlie, the rumours didn't spread as far as La Push, and while Charlie was grateful for the fact that he could tell his best friend the news, he knew Billy wouldn't be as welcoming about the move as Bella had been. There was only one thing that he could do now, tell Billy and hope he would take the news well, if not for his sake then for Bella's at least.

The perfect opportunity presented itself when Billy called to say that the Quileute tribe were having a bonfire feast to celebrate the news of Sam and Emily's engagement and that Charlie and Bella should be there to partake in the festivities as well, since they were honorary members of the tribe owing to the great friendship between Charlie and the Elders. Bella had immediately jumped at the idea of going to the Reservation, stating it would be good to see them all before they leave in a few days' time, and in this way Charlie won't have to be afraid of breaking the news to Billy, much to his embarrassment.

...

The night of the feast finally arrived, and Bella had prepared an apple pie dessert as a peace offering on behalf of Charlie, as she knew that was Billy's favourite.

"Stop fidgeting and let's go, before Billy sends out driftwood signals for you" Bella said with amusement in her voice.

She was finding this entire situation extremely amusing and couldn't help but tease Charlie whenever the opportunity presented itself. Charlie rolled his eyes at Bella but didn't say anything as they headed out to the cruiser. If he was being honest with himself, Charlie was purposely acting this way because of the reactions and playful nature that Bella was showing. He knew it was childish but he couldn't help the smile on his face when he saw how her eyes lit up with amusement every time he grumbled about Billy.

He was happy that she was slowly shedding the shell that she was holed up in, and for the smile that now graced her lips, Charlie would happily don a clown suit and red nose if he had to.

The drive to the Reservation was peaceful and filled with small talk about what needed to be done once they reached Mystic Falls. As they reached the Black residence, Bella could see that the celebration was in full swing, with local music, laughter and drinks going all around. Getting out of the cruiser, Bella braced herself for the onslaught of questions that she knew was going to come her way. Not about the move, but about HIS leaving. It was no secret to anyone that there was a deep hatred and animosity running between the Cullen's and the Quileute, and the reason for it was simply that they existed. Charlie always brushed it off as superstitious tribal beliefs, but Bella knew better. Jacob had once told her about the legendary story of how both the Quileute and the Cullen's came to be, and although Bella was only privy to half the tale, she knew there was more to it than what they let on.

Shaking her head to rid herself of those thoughts, Bella smiled as she and Charlie made their way over to Billy and the Elders.

"Charlie old man, good to see you again. I heard you were very busy these past few days, packing and everything" Old Quil said smirking.

While the others gathered around and looked towards Bella and Charlie in confusion, Bella ducked her head to hide her smile as Charlie suddenly looked very flustered and nervous. He kept glancing between Bella and Billy and opened his mouth quite a few times not knowing what to say.

"Spit it out Charlie, what's Old Quil rambling on about now" Billy exclaimed, looking at Charlie for an explanation. Charlie looked at him and sighed.

"I got a job offer from the Mystic Falls Police Department in Virginia, I accepted and we moving from Forks at the end of the week."

Silence greeted the group after Charlie's revelation, there was not a sound to be heard as everyone stared stunned at the pair of newcomers. Bella looked around gauging the expressions on everyone's face, they were all shocked and that was to be expected, but two faces stood out from the rest.

Billy and Jacob Black.

Their expressions to say the least, mainly consisted of glaring at Charlie, and anyone else who dared say a word to them. Bella could understand why Billy would feel this way, he and Charlie had been inseparable ever since they met. They went through it all together. Charlie was there for him when he met in the accident that bound him to a wheelchair and Billy was there for Charlie through all the drama and heartache caused by Renee leaving. They were each other's constant and support pillar. The one strength they knew they could rely on when needed. So when Billy wheeled off in a huff towards the house and Charlie ran in after him, she had an idea what their conversation would be like.

But Jacob, why did he look so angry. Granted that they had known each other since they were little, but Bella did a good job of blocking out the memories of the holidays she spent in Forks back then, so she didn't remember their interactions that well, but it seemed as though Jacob did. Even when she was back in Forks for good, the only time she really spoke to him alone was that day on First Beach, when she flirted and threw in the extra charm in order to find out the reason why the Cullen's didn't venture anywhere near their land.

So what was his reason for being so mad about this whole move? Bella hated to admit it to herself, but now that she thought about it, she might have been too charming with him that day. He was a teenage boy, a young one too and maybe she had unintentionally given him ideas about a blossoming romance between the two of them. She decided that she needed to clear the air between them before she left, it would not do well for Jacob to pine over someone who clearly didn't think of him in that way at all.

She made her over to where Jacob was surrounded by a few boys. They looked to be arguing and trying to stop Jacob from going off somewhere. As Bella approached, Sam motioned for the boys to stand back and after a long stare between Bella and Jacob they left and headed back to the bonfire, where Emily and the other girls were waiting.

"Hey, what was that all about" Bella said as she walked up to him. He seemed angry, his fists clenching and unclenching, and he looked to be trying to control his anger in front of her.

Bella raised an eyebrow at his peculiar behaviour, and she kept a good distance from him as she spoke.

"Look I know we haven't spoken in a while and I was going to tell you that we were moving sooner rather than later, but things came up and it just got left to the side". She wondered why she was justifying herself to Jacob Black, she didn't need to be accountable to him for anything at all.

"I saw your reaction earlier, are you not happy that Charlie got a better job?"

"I'm happy for Charlie, but why do you have to just jump up and leave again? Can't he just leave you behind?" Jacob spat out, his words full of hatred and underlying anger. Bella stared at him shocked, in all her encounters with him she had never seen him like this before.

"Excuse me, but my father cannot just go off on his own without a care for his daughter, how could you even suggest such a thing! And what Charlie and I decide is our private business and you have no right to question it at all Jacob Black. So I suggest you leave the attitude behind and talk to me like a normal person or I'm out of here." Bella huffed in anger as she stared Jacob down, and he was too shocked by the change in her behaviour to say anything else.

"Listen here Jacob, I have no idea what is going on with you, and at the moment I don't really care. I have my own problems to worry about and I don't need you adding to it. I can understand why Billy would be upset about the news and his response to it would be totally acceptable, but that doesn't give you a right to throw around a fit for a matter that doesn't even concern you."

"I think I know what this is all about and before you say anything else, I have a confession to make. That day at First Beach, when I, uh, coaxed you into telling me your tribal stories about the Quileute and the Cold Ones, I had an ulterior motive. I wanted to find about more about them and why they were always so mysterious and secretive. I was curious and you just happened to be there, eager to tell me whatever I wanted to know. I'm sorry for the way I acted, I know it was wrong." She took a deep breath before she said the next part and hoped that Jacob wouldn't lose his anger over it.

"I think of you as a younger brother, and I'm sure I'm going to miss both you and Billy once we leave Forks."

Jacob stood as still as a statue once he heard those words leave Bella's lips. He could not believe it. He fought with Sam and the others over Bella, and it turns out that they were right all along. She used him. And he was a fool to fall for it. He stared at her nervous and flustered form for a few minutes before giving her a long hard glare, and turned around to stomp off towards the beach.

"Jacob?"

"Just leave me alone Bella, I think you've done enough anyways. Why don't you go find someone else to manipulate into doing whatever it is that you want next. Enjoy your life in Mystic Falls." He ground out as he broke into a run.

Bella stared at his back as he faded from sight and sighed as she turned around, heading back to the bonfire. She understood how Jacob felt, and she didn't blame him in the slightest for the words that he threw at her. She just hoped that one day he would come around. She looked around at everyone gathered outside and realised that Charlie and Billy were still inside. Just as Bella was heading over to the Black house, her path was blocked by a wall of shirtless bodies. The tribal boys that she had seen earlier with Jacob were standing in front of her, staring her down with expressionless faces. The one in the middle looked to be the leader, and after a few minutes he stepped forward and extended his hand to Bella.

"My name is Sam Uley and I think we need to have a talk in private."


	5. Discussions

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Twilight or The Vampire Diaries. It all solely belongs to the talented Stephanie Meyer and the TVD author and producers.**

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><p><strong> Discussions<strong>

"Billy!" Charlie shouted as Billy stormed into the house slamming the door behind him as he wheeled into the living room.

"Billy, wait up. Will you at least listen to what I have to say? You can't just give me the cold shoulder without knowing my reasons behind this decision." Charlie said as he came in behind.

"Why not? After everything that happened in that place, you going to go back, take up a job and live happily ever after with Bella?" Billy shouted as he stared Charlie down, anger evident in both his eyes and voice.

"I don't need to understand anything Charlie, it's downright stupid that's what it is."

There was a strained silence after Billy's outburst and Charlie stared at his best friend not knowing what to say. Finally he sighed and sat down on the couch, his body sagging into it as he suddenly looked as though he had aged a good few years in the span of a few minutes.

"I'm doing this Bella" He whispered.

"She needs a fresh start, away from all this mess and depression that she's caught herself in. I've seen how broken and lifeless my daughter has become ever since her birthday, and I hate that boy for making her into this person. This is not her Billy. She always had this spark within her, whether it was her stubbornness or her determination for something showing, she always had that light in her eyes. The kind that when you looked at her you knew that no matter what gets thrown her way, she was never going to give up."

"And now she has" Billy whispered, his heart breaking for his brother in all but blood as he heard the pain and anguish in his voice. Charlie rubbed his hand over his face tiredly, and he took a deep breath before he spoke again.

"She's gone. My Bella is gone, and instead I have this shell of a person living with me. Sometimes I blame myself for all of this, because if I hadn't told her how wholeheartedly I approved of Carlisle and his family, then maybe she wouldn't have been in this state today."

Billy wheeled over to Charlie and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Nothing that happened was your fault Charlie. You couldn't have predicted that this would happen. What that Cullen kid did to Bella was solely his fault."

"You're a brilliant father Charlie, and it shows in your actions" He gave him a reassuring squeeze before manoeuvring himself in front of Charlie.

Charlie stared at a loose thread on the armrest as he thought over what Billy had just told him. Even though Bella had been away from him for most of her life, she had chosen to stay with him in the last remaining years of her childhood. And when she came back last year, Charlie had done everything in his power to make certain that Bella would be happy here, and that when the time came for her to walk out the door into the beginning of her future, she would leave happily and with a smile on her face.

"I was losing hope that she was ever going to be alright again" He said quietly as he fingered the thread.

"The nightmares wouldn't stop, in fact they kept getting worse each night, and she was slowly losing weight from not eating or drinking anything at all. I considered sending her back to Renee so she could try and help Bella out, but when Bella heard she threw a right fit. I was shocked, I hadn't seen that much emotion from her in a while, and I dropped the matter. I lied and told Renee she was finally on the mend." Charlie looked up at Billy with sadness in his eyes.

"Then it suddenly came to me that she didn't want to leave from here because of all the memories she shared with him. Being here and seeing the places that they spent their time together at, reminded her that it was all real and it showed me that she didn't want to let go and move on."

"Then what changed, because the Bella I see today looks different. She looks alive" Billy asked curiously.

Charlie straightened and said, "The job offer from Mystic Falls did."

"Liz wrote to me asking for help on an animal attack case that they couldn't figure out, and said that if I accepted, the position was permanent and that I would be the Deputy Sheriff of the Department."

Billy regarded him for a few seconds before gruffly saying, "That was very gracious of Liz"

"It was" Charlie stated.

"Look, I know that there's a tense past between Liz and I, and that things ended terribly back then, but when that letter came and after I read it, all I could think about was Bella. How this could possibly be the miracle that we needed for her to become herself again. So I decided to talk to her about it, and she was hesitant at first, but then she agreed because she knew as well I did, that the only way for her to ever heal and close old wounds would be for her to have a change of scenery. And so I took the job, for my daughter's sake." Charlie said in a pleading voice, full of desperation.

Billy sighed and closed his eyes as he thought about everything Charlie had said so far. He let out a slow, deep breath and his voice was calm as he spoke.

"I understand Charlie"

Charlie looked up, shocked that his friend had given in so quickly, but then he realised that just as how he would do anything for Bella, so to would Billy do everything in his power to make sure that Jacob was safe and healthy.

His eyes shone with gratitude and appreciation for his best friend and he cleared his throat before gruffly saying a thank you.

Billy nodded but put his hand up to stall whatever it was that Charlie was about to say.

"I know I said I understand, and I do because I would do the same for Jake, but putting yourself back in that town, with Liz and all those past issues that can't be forgotten, tell me did you honestly think for one second about how all this is going to affect you?"

Charlie stood up and walked over to the window. He could see Bella standing and talking to Sam and the other boys from the Reservation. They looked to be deep in conversation. He turned back to face Billy.

"I know, trust me I thought about that too. But I can't keep hiding it anymore. I decided that once we get to Mystic Falls and Bella is well settled there, I will tell her the truth. And from Liz's letter, it seems as though she also wants the same thing. We are going to be working together after all. It would be in both our best interests to bury the past and move on."

"What if Bella doesn't take the news well?" Billy questioned quietly.

Charlie looked at him and said just as quietly "I can only hope and pray that Bella does"

The two friends sat in a comfortable silence afterwards, both deep in thought about the events that brought Charlie Swan to where he is now, and both hoping that the future brings Bella Swan the happiness that she deserves.

...

Bella stared at Sam and the other boys in front of her. She was surrounded and had no way of evading them even if she wanted to. She sighed as she took his hand politely and shook it.

"Bella. Then you all already knew that didn't you" she said wryly as she took in all their appearances carefully. She was shocked when she came across Embry and Quil standing behind a few of the older boys. They had drastically changed since the last time she had seen them, and that was a few weeks ago. Both boys had bulked up significantly, with muscles and abs and even some kind of tribal tattoo inked across their right upper arm.

"Embry? Is that you? When did all of THAT happen?"

He looked down shyly as all the attention was suddenly thrown on him. Sam cleared his throat and all heads turned towards him, and he looked at Bella.

"Maybe we should head off to one side for this conversation."

The group moved along to the edge of Reservation, standing nearby the path which lead to first beach. She briefly wondered where Jacob had disappeared off to, but brushed away the thought as she turned towards Sam.

"What do you want to talk about?" she asked him curiously, wondering what was so important that he needed to pull her aside for it.

Sam stared at her intently for a few minutes before carefully saying, "Before we continue, can I have your word that whatever is said now is kept between those of us present here? It is important that you don't tell Charlie or even Billy that we had this conversation."

Bella looked at him shocked, realising that the matter at hand must be very important, for the residents of La Push were very private people and did not trust outsiders easily.

She took a deep breath as she held his gaze and nodded.

"Yes, you have my word."

"Whoa whoa, how can we trust her Sam, don't you remember who she spends all her time with!" yelled Paul from behind Bella.

Sam looked past her towards Paul and said firmly, "Spent all her time with, Paul. They are gone now, and I don't think they are coming back anytime soon. She has a right to know."

Bella froze as soon as she heard those words. She knew exactly who they were talking about, and she had a feeling that this was the matter that Sam wanted to talk to her about. Although she was slowly coming to terms with the fact that THEY had well and truly left her and would not be coming back, it hurt as much as it did on THAT day to remember it, and when Sam mentioned it, it finally became real.

She staggered backwards clutching her side as that all too familiar sharp pain suddenly exploded within her. She drew in a deep shuddering breathe as she tried not to make a sound. That feeling of a thousand needles in her side hadn't pierced her since that night when she had that strange dream about her dark haired Saviour, and although she was somewhat immune to the pain, this time she couldn't hold back the sharp gasp of air that she took in.

Bella felt warm comforting hands on her shoulder and she looked up into Sam's dark eyes full of concern and let out a relieved breathe. She was safe and the nightmares couldn't haunt her now. Sitting down on one of the rocks that Sam had guided her to, she closed her eyes and tried to rid herself of the overwhelming feelings that suddenly bombarded her. Bella wrapped her arms around herself tighter and let the cool ocean breeze blow over her face.

"Bella are you okay?" questioned Embry, his voice full of concern. "Do I need to go and get Charlie?"

"NO!" she shouted startling the others.

"I don't want Charlie to see this. Let's just forget about it" she sighed tiredly as she looked towards Sam.

"You wanted to talk to me about something?"

"Yes Bella actually I did. But if you not up to it, well, the conversation could wait until tomorrow" he said unsurely.

"Its okay, Sam. I'm fine now, truly" she said softly to him.

"Does it have something to do with them?" she asked him hesitantly.

He nodded his head, while the others threw cautious and pitiful glances her way. Ignoring them she stood up and said, "Well let's get it over with then shall we? What about the Cull-, THEM?" She tried to say their name, but at the moment the memories were still to raw.

"Bella do you remember those tribal legends that Jacob told you about, back when you first came to Forks?" Sam said slowly.

Bella realising where the conversation was heading widened her eyes and stared at the group of boys before her. They knew what THEY were, and they were going to tell her. Not trusting her voice at the moment she nodded her head.

"Well those legends are real" he said softly, looking at Bella with caution and hesitation in his eyes. He took a deep breath before saying the next part.

"All the legends are true."

The group was quite around them as Bella and Sam stared each other down. She took a step forward and surprised everyone present with her answer.

"I know"

"What?" was the resounding response that echoed throughout the group. Some were shocked while others looked angry that Bella would even associate herself with the Cullen's even after knowing what they were. Sam looked stunned, before quickly recovering and asking the question that was on everyone's mind.

"How did you find out?"

"About THEM being vampires? Simple, it was too easy really. Once you looked at the signs that made them so much more different than the rest of us. They didn't exactly try to blend in and hide their nature, did they? And then I got suspicious about the fact that they didn't want to do anything that associated themselves with the La Push Reservation. I started doing my own research. Finally, I asked Jacob about them and he told me about the stories. It was easy to connect the dots after that" she said looking at a particularly interesting stone that rested by her foot, not daring to look at the group of stunned teenagers in front of her.

"And you still decided to hook up with that leech. What is wrong with you?" Paul ranted out angrily as he stared at Bella.

Bella suddenly saw red as Paul threw out his accusations against her. Who was he to tell her what she could do with her life. She stormed up to Paul and poked her fingers into his chest as she stared up at him and angrily hissed out.

"Listen here, I already told Jacob earlier and I'm going to say it to you once again. You have no right to tell me what to do with my life. It was my decision and now I'm paying the price for it. I was foolish enough to believe that I was actually worth something to someone. Regardless of whether or not they were human, and that belief shattered into a million pieces right before my eyes. So I don't need you or anybody else telling me how I let someone ruin my life."

She turned to Sam and said "You don't need to worry about me telling anybody about this discussion. I'm quite good at keeping secrets."

Just as she was walking back up the path that led to the Reservation, Sam broke out of his stupor and said the fearful words that haunted Bella's every nightmare and made her blood run cold.

"We know about the red headed vampire."

_AN: Just 2 more chapters to Mystic Falls!_


	6. Discoveries

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to Twilight or The Vampire Diaries. It all solely belongs to the talented Stephanie Meyer and the TVD author and producers.**

**A big thank you to all those who are following Saving Me From The Darkness. I am so happy that this story already has 100 followers! Thank you so much to all. Hope you enjoy this next chapter, I thoroughly enjoyed writing it! **

**Bella's dreams are in Italics.**

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><p><strong>Discoveries<strong>

Bella stared at Sam in pure disbelief.

"What"

Sam stayed silent for a few moments, before softly saying, "We know about the red headed vampire that's after you, Bella"

"How do you know about her? No one besides THEM know about her?" she whispered more to herself than to the others, but they all heard her question.

Since Sam was the alpha of the pack, the boys decided it would be best that he head the discussion with Bella, after all he was the most level headed person from amongst them all, and they weren't planning on including Jacob into this, and they were right in their decision, judging by his actions earlier tonight.

"Their coven leader came by before they left, he asked us for a favour. To keep an eye on you and make sure that you are safe. He then he told us what happened that day you supposedly ran away from Forks, and how you landed yourself in hospital." Sam said in an even tone.

"But why would he do that? They obviously abandoned me. Why would he care about my safety?" Bella asked Sam, as she tried to process what he had just said.

"I would not know what his reasons were Bella, but I might be correct in saying he does care for you. He does not want the red head to cause you any harm" Sam replied back softly, giving Bella time to take in all that happened within a few minutes.

Bella was quite for a few minutes. Staring out into the ocean with a blank look in her eyes. Suddenly to the surprise of everyone present, she threw her head back and let out a cold humourless laugh.

"Well if he cares about me so much, he sure does have a damn funny way of showing it" she huffed out between laughs.

"What are you guys supposed to do if she does come? Huh? Stare her down, or are you going to keep me in La Push for the rest of my life so that she doesn't enter the Reservation land? Victoria would kill me in seconds" Bella spat out harshly as she looked at the group in front of her with visible anger and hatred in her eyes.

She paced the beach, huffing and kicking the sand as she went along. She could not believe what was happening. First Sam and his gang knew all about THEM being vampires, and now they suddenly know all about Victoria. What was next?

She let out a deep breath as she dropped down onto the sand with her head in her hands. Was it too much to ask for one night of peace and normality in her life? Could she not go on one day without thinking about how the supernatural had truly messed up her somewhat boring, but normal life? She drew in a breath and flinched as the unnatural coldness of the air hit her throat.

In an odd twisted way, she was touched and slightly grateful for the fact that at least one of them seemed to care for her. Even though it was based on a life and death situation. But then she wasn't really surprised as this was Carl- the leader that they were talking about. It was in his nature to worry and care for others, a trait that she suspected was so strong and dominant in his human life that he somehow carried it over into his new immortal life and it helped him survive and become the man that he is today. At least the Quileute now knew what they were really facing if it ever came down to a confrontation between them and Victoria.

Her eyes shot open at that last thought. How were a group of muscled up teenage boys going to go up against a hard as rock, indestructible vampire?

"Sam" she stated in a deadly calm voice.

"Yes Bella"

"How exactly are you supposed to defend yourself against an indestructible ruthless vampire?" Bella questioned.

She looked at Sam when she asked him this, and was surprised to see how uncomfortable her seemingly innocent question had made him. He shuffled around nervously under her gaze as he tried to think of a diplomat way in which he could answer her question without revealing the tribe's secret. Sam chose his next words carefully as he spoke.

"I am afraid I cannot tell you that myself as it is against our tribal laws. I can definitely tell you one thing. Those stories that Jacob had told you about our legends are all true. The existence of the Cold Ones is proof of that. You are a smart girl Bella I am sure you will figure it out soon."

He gave her a small smile as he motioned for the group to head back towards the feast. Bella followed behind absentmindedly as she thought about everything that Sam had just told her. She looked up as she heard Charlie's laughter and smiled. It seemed as though he and Billy had sorted things out and were back to their normal selves. She looked around and was disappointed to see that Jacob still hadn't shown up, she just wished that they could smooth things over before she left.

Bella pushed away all thoughts of her earlier conversation with Sam, and laughed as Emily and girls pulled her away for some 'girl bonding' time. Now this she could get used to, she happily thought as she let herself be pulled into a happy and giggling group of girls whose only concerns and worries were surrounding Emily's upcoming wedding.

...

"Thank God we are home!" Charlie shouted out dramatically as soon as they stepped into the hallway.

"Oh come on, it wasn't that bad" Bella chuckled as she shrugged off her coat and boots near the doorway.

"Wasn't that bad? Are you kidding me Bells, did you see the look on Billy's face! I thought for sure he was going to murder me. And what was up with Jacob?" Charlie said as he walked into the kitchen.

Bella shrugged uncomfortably as she followed Charlie. "I'm not sure dad, but Sam and the boys said to leave him be. Something about raging teenage hormones. I didn't ask any further"

Charlie rolled his eyes and muttered something that suspiciously sounded like 'boys' and 'testosterone' under his breath as he busied himself with making two cups of strong coffee. Bella silently agreed that they definitely needed it after the drama filled night that they both had.

"So how long have Sam and Emily been together?" she asked. Not wanting to remain on the topic of Jacob any longer than necessary.

"Oh a few years now. Lovely girl Emily. She's Henry Clearwater's niece, came down here for a vacation and she caught Sam's eye. That sealed the deal, and she's been here ever since. Although anyone who can put up with Billy and Old Quil's nonsense on a daily basis is on the top of my favourite's list." He chuckled as they settled down on the couch with their steaming mugs of hot coffee.

"Dad!"

"I'm just saying!" Charlie defended as his lips twitched in laughter.

"So how did your talk with Billy go?" Bella questioned curiously as she sipped her coffee. The strong aroma along with the slightly bitter taste soothed her body.

"Oh it went great. There was a bit of swearing, then shouting. Billy almost threw an antique lampshade at my head. But other than that we both got our points across, and cleared our misunderstandings. So we good now"

Bella stared at him for a few moments. She was not sure whether he was joking or not. But from the way Billy stormed off earlier she wouldn't be surprised if that was exactly what had happened. Charlie stared at her with a raised eyebrow, and she shook her head and laughed.

"You two are like grown-up children"

"Well, how did your night go? I saw you talking to the Reservation boys earlier and then being dragged off by the girls afterwards. Looks like you had fun too" he stated with a hint of curiosity in his voice.

"Well it was okay, the boys were just asking how I was doing, and then about your new job in Mystic Falls. The girls were actually quite a lot of fun. Lots of wedding and dresses talk though." She mock shuddered and Charlie laughed at her reaction.

"Although Sam had quite a story to share about you." Bella teased back, knowing all the while that there was no such thing mentioned.

Charlie spluttered his coffee, and was suddenly very red in his face. Bella smirked as she nonchalantly said, "He also said that it was your fault."

Charlie's face was suddenly as red as a tomato as he stuttered about trying to give Bella a dignified response. Once he has settled down he finally said.

"It was not my fault that the boat tipped over. Billy was the one who leaned over to try and see what snagged the line."

Bella was not expecting that and she burst out laughing. Startling Charlie who was still trying, and failing to come up with some sort of reasonable answer. He stared at Bella shocked until he finally realised that she had pulled one over him. Getting him back for his comments earlier in the evening before leaving for Billy's. He sat there contently looking at her while she calmed down from her bout of laughter. She finally had a real smile on her face, and he couldn't be happier, even if it was at his own expense.

"Well I'll be off, got an early morning start at the station tomorrow. Plus I got to make sure that the Deputy Chief is ready to take over by the end of this week. Good night Bells" Charlie said as he drained his coffee and stretched out a few sore muscles. He gave Bella a pat on the back and made his way upstairs.

Bella sat on the couch for a few more minutes before tidying up the lounge and kitchen area then heading upstairs, towards the bathroom for her nightly routine. Once she settled into bed, she stared out the window at the full moon peeking through her curtains.

She closed her eyes as she finally thought about her conversations with both Jacob and Sam earlier in the evening. Granted that she hadn't given it much thought while she was at the Reservation, but she couldn't help notice the way the boys kept an eye out on her all evening. There was always one following her around, as if they were waiting for her to freak out or make some startling breakthrough discovery about them. Although the boys tried to be as inconspicuous as possible, Bella just knew when she was being watched. Call it a past experience.

She snuggled up further in her blanket and let the cool air blow over her face. As she drifted off to sleep with the promising thoughts of preparing Charlie's favourite dinner tomorrow as a peace offering for her relentless teasing.

...

_Bella found herself standing in a wide-open clearing. There were trees all around surrounding her, and she felt as though she had visited this place before. Before she could ponder about her location, she smelt something sickly sweet burning, the smell was so disgustingly sugary and pungent that Bella had to hold her breathe for a few seconds in order to stop herself from throwing up. She let out slow, shallow breaths as she acclimated herself to the strong scent that was in the air. Curious as to what was burning, she slowly edged her way towards the huge bonfire that was lit in the middle of the clearing. On getting closer instead of seeing black smoke, Bella saw thick clouds of purple smoke wafting away from the fire into the clear blue skies. Just as she was about to hurl, a voice startled her from behind._

"_Smells disgusting doesn't it? I don't know how anyone can stand that repulsive smell." The stranger said smirking, his baby blue eyes shining with mirth._

_It was Him. Her Saviour. _

_Relief flooded through Bella's body as soon as she saw him. He had a few minor bruises and scratches, but it wasn't anything major. Bella let out a relieved breath as she ran forward and threw herself in his arms. His strong arms wound tightly around her waist and she buried her head deeper into his chest. Taking comfort in his familiar scent and embrace. The smell of leather and cinnamon reached her nose and she inhaled deeply, reminding herself that they were both safe and alive, and that the trouble was now finally over._

_He placed a soft kiss on her head and pushed her back slightly so he could examine her for any injuries. She rolled her eyes and said._

"_Caroline already did that. She said that I had to be in one piece and in perfect condition, otherwise you would have her head."_

"_Hmm. She's right you know" he smirked._

"_I know that, but you didn't have to tell her that!" she said as she pouted._

_He chuckled deeply and his next words surprised her, although not as much as it did before._

"_I didn't tell her anything. All I said was "Look out for Isabella" and she did the rest. She knows how much you mean to me Isabella. Even if the others don't"_

_Bella felt her cheeks heating up as he said that. She refused to look into his eyes for she knew she would lose all train of coherent thoughts and would be lost in those pools of swirling baby blues._

_She cleared her throat as she looked at the bonfire once more and sighed. _

"_I know I said I wouldn't come anywhere near the fight, but I wish I had gotten to do that." She said as she nodded towards the pile of burning ash._

"_Well" He said mysteriously as he dug around in his pockets._

"_I saved you a piece"_

_The scene then changed and instead of standing in the clearing, Bella was now standing outside a quaint little peach two story house. She walked up the staircase, curiously examining the structure in front of her. As she looked around she noticed that just like the clearing, she didn't recognise her surroundings at all. The peach house was situated at the end of a long street that had similar houses situated on either side of it. It looked like a quiet little residential area, similar to a cul-de-sac. Before she could move off from the front porch of the peach house, the door flung open and two people stepped outside. _

_They looked like they were heavily involved in an argument, and Bella did not want to intrude._

"_Oh, excuse me. Sorry I'll just be on my way" she stammered. Clearly embarrassed._

_The pair in front of her didn't acknowledge her presence at all and carried on with their heated discussion. Bella backed away slowly, and being the klutz that she is, tripped and fell down flat onto the floorboard. She blushed bright red and made to apologise when she noticed something strange. Her hand, which she had thrown out in front of her to break her fall, had landed squarely on a man's black leather boot. In fact, if she looked closer, it was almost as if his boot was not there._

_She gasped as she suddenly realised that she was invisible to the bickering pair in front of her. Bella stood up and touched the shoulder of the blonde woman whose back was facing her, and waiting with bated breath for a reaction. When none came, she relaxed as she confirmed her theory and decided to check out the neighbourhood that she was when in, when her attention was abruptly brought back to the argument taking place in front of her. _

_One of them had mentioned her name._

"_Bella deserves to know the truth" The blonde stated. Her eyes wild with unbridled anger and irritation towards her companion._

"_I know, and she will, in due time. She isn't ready for it right now"_

_Her heart skipped a beat. She knew that voice. She would recognise it anywhere._

_Even though he only came to her in her dreams, or whatever this was, she instantly felt at ease whenever she heard his soothing, hypnotic voice. But now, his voice sounded tight, and laden with frustration, whether it was aimed at the blonde or someone else she would never know. The blonde huffed and stamped her foot down in frustration._

"_When will be the right time da-"_

"_Soon okay Caroline. Now please, stop bugging me and go annoy someone else" He huffed out equally annoyed._

_So this is Caroline. Bella thought as she studied the petite blonde in front of her. She was very pretty, with curly blonde hair and an athletic figure. But Bella had to wonder, why she was mentioned so many times in these dreams of hers. Either by herself or her dark haired stranger. Surely she must have some significant role in all of this, just like her Saviour._

_Before she could further contemplate the appearance of Caroline, she was interrupted by him speaking again. She had obviously missed the question because he was now answering something that Caroline had asked._

"_She needs time to heal. Her old wounds are still there tormenting her each and every day, and although many of you might not see it, it's killing her inside. What happened to her back home was horrible and terrifying, and she can't get rid of it that easily. Memories hurt more than people do, trust me I should be an expert on that. I know she's your best friend Caroline, but we'll tell her the truth once she's able to move on from this dark phase that's holding her back." _

_Caroline stared at him for a few minutes, studying his serious expression before dropping her rigid stance and saying in a voice so soft, you could barely hear her speaking._

"_She's my best friend. If I don't worry about her who will. Besides you. She's the only one who really understands me"_

_Bella was taken aback at the raw emotion that Caroline displayed when she spoke about her. Never had anyone shown such concern and loyalty towards her and she was touched that Caroline thought so highly of her. Bella took a hesitant step towards her, and reached out to touch Caroline when suddenly everything went hazy and both Caroline and her Saviour disappeared. _

_The scene shifted again, only this time she was standing in her house, the living room to be exact. She knew this was no dream or hallucination of hers because standing in front of her in all his eternal beauty was HIM. She glanced around the room when she realised that they were not alone. Sam Uley was there, as well as Jacob Black. What was he doing here?_

_Before she could ask what was going on, HE raised his hand and motioned for Bella to come to his side. Still dumbfounded into trying to make sense of what was happening, Bella stood her ground and slowly shook her in the negative._

"_What is going on?" _

"_Bella, you need to stay away from the La Push boys. They're dangerous and are not a good influence on you."_

_She had waited so long to hear his voice, his musical voice that would previously send shivers down her spine in anticipation of what magical words HE would say next. Now as she heard him, all she could do was shiver in fear as HIS voice sounded low and commanding. She briefly compared it to her Saviour's voice, and realized that the feelings and safety that HIS voice once provided her with, was now replaced with her mysterious stranger's voice. She stared at him as what HE had said finally registered with her mind. He wanted her to stay away from Sam and his gang._

_No, he was ordering her._

_Before Bella could say anything, Jacob was glowering at HIM with pure unadulterated hatred in his eyes. His body was shaking and his fists were clenching and unclenching, just like that night at the Reservation. Before Bella could intervene, Jacob started growling and Sam was trying to restrain him by holding him in a deadlock grip. _

"_Bella stay back!" Sam barked out as he dragged Jacob outside. _

"_Bella, love come over here by me, I'll keep you safe" HE said in that magical soothing voice._

_Bella shook her head furiously and ran outside to check on Sam and Jacob. He was still trying to break free of Sam's grip, and as soon as HE came into Jacob's view, he exploded._

_Before Bella could even make sense of the events that were transpiring on her front porch, in front of her stood a majestic creature. A wolf the size and height of a human being._

_She stared up at him in awe as the wolf continued growling at HIM. She could hear his orders and warnings in the background but she chose to ignore him, in favour of staring at the beast that stood proudly in front of her. She reached out tentatively and placed her hand on the wolf's russet coloured fur. It was soft and warm to the touch. Bella traced her hand through his fur, moving along until she reached his muzzle. She let out a gasp of surprise as she noticed that the wolf's eyes were the exact same shade of brown as Jacob's. She could never forget the look of anger he threw at her after their discussion, and she was not about to forget it anytime soon. _

"_Jacob" she exclaimed._

_The wolf tilted his head to the side in a way of greeting and bared his teeth in what she could only guess was supposed to be some sort of wolfy smile. _

_Sam moved forward, and gave Bella a tentative smile before he said, "I knew you could figure it out Bella. You're a smart girl after all"_

...

Bella woke with a start. She was drenched in sweat and was panting as though she had just completed a marathon. She combed a shaky hand through her damp hair, and winched when her fingers got caught up in the knots. She took a deep breath, jumped out of bed and headed towards the open window. Leaning her head against the cool window frame, she gazed outside and noticed that the sun was just about to rise.

She headed downstairs to make herself a cup of hot chocolate and settled down outside on the step of the front porch. Bella thought back to the dreams she had earlier. They were very different and much longer than before. Previously she would only get snippets, now she was witnessing entire conversations and dare she say it? Perhaps her future?

She scoffed as she pushed that thought out of her mind as quickly as it entered. She was no Alice, she couldn't do anything so extraordinary. Heck, she couldn't even decide on what she was going to do three hours from now, how in the world was she supposed to tell someone what their future held.

But something about those dreams made Bella feel uneasy. Whether it was the fact that after months she had dreamt of him, or the way in which the people that she didn't even know made her feel. Caroline, she mused, seemed like your average teenage girl, who lived to please others, especially her friends. And from what Bella had gathered so far, she was one of those friends that was high up on Caroline's list.

And her Saviour? What did she know about him? That he is tall, dark, brooding and handsome with killer baby blue eyes. What was it about him that drew Bella in? Or that drew him to Bella?

She threw her head back with a groan as she felt a headache coming on from all the overthinking that she was doing. She didn't know what was going on with her head, but someday she would find out. For now she had other matters at hand to deal with.

Like the fact that the Quileute boys can turn into giant wolves.

...

**Mystic Falls**

"This is the worst attack so far. And this one brings the total up to four now" Sheriff Forbes said grimly to Damon as she stood to one side.

"Hmm" said Damon as he examined the scene in front of him. "It's definitely a blood bath, that's for sure. Whoever did this is definitely out of control or just a raging monster from the looks of it"

Liz Forbes looked positively ill as she stood by watching Damon conduct his own investigation. He kept poking and prodding the victim with a nearby stick that he found, and Liz was just about to tell him something, when he finally stopped.

He stood up, straightened his shirt and proclaimed, "Well my work here is done. I shall see you later. Drop by the boarding house around eight, and we'll talk over a glass or two of whiskey. I think you'll need it"

Liz stared at Damon in shock, before hurrying after him.

"Well why can't you tell me anything now? Why wait till later?" she questioned as they made their way towards the edge of the forest. Liz motioned to her fellow officers and they hurried past her in order to barricade the area.

Damon smirked at Liz as he calmly said, "Liz, before I say anything, I want to double check on something. Let's just say the matter is more serious than we thought"

Liz sighed in defeat and confirmed that she would be there later. She just hoped the news that Damon had in store for her wasn't something that she couldn't handle.

...

Caroline shot out of her seat as soon as she heard her mother's car coming up the driveway. She motioned for Stefan to go get Damon from the library, while she caught her mother up on what she and Stefan had been researching so far.

"Mom, so good to see you. Sorry about the attack today, I know you really pressured about this whole thing" Caroline said sympathetically as she embraced Liz.

Liz squeezed Caroline back, and gave her a warm smile in return. It was good to see her daughter after so many days. She was currently lodging at the boarding house until the water system was sorted out. So Liz only saw her whenever she came over to collect some essentials and clothing.

"It's good to see you to Care. Maybe one of these days we can have lunch at the Grill together?" Liz said hopefully.

Caroline's beaming smile was all the answer she needed and before either woman got a chance to say anything, Damon and Stefan entered the room, each holding a few case folders of the attacks that Liz had sent over earlier for them to examine.

"Hey Liz can I get you anything to drink?" Stefan asked as he placed the folders on the desk, and headed over to the drinks cabinet.

"Just some tea please"

Stefan nodded and made to head towards the kitchen, when Caroline offered to go make a cup for the three of them while Stefan and Damon caught Liz up on what they found out.

"So you find anything unusual about these attacks?" she asked once they all settled down

"Everything about these attacks are unusual Liz, from the victims to the way they are attacked. It might be supernatural related, but we not yet exactly sure" Stefan said grimly as Damon paced about in front of the fireplace.

"What we do know is that it is definitely targeting a specific type of person. Maybe it's just a build-up of anticipation towards the actual kill, or this 'thing' is getting restless and agitated" Damon spoke as he flashed over to the desk where the folders sat. He flipped through a few before he finally found what he was looking for.

"These victims have been severely tortured. It went all overkill on these women."

"Wait women? I thought the victims were too disfigured to properly identify. That's why we couldn't make any valid identification or contact any families. And we haven't yet heard back from the medical examiner's office" Liz questioned, her voice full of confusion as she looked between the two brothers.

Caroline entered at that moment with a tray of steaming hot tea mugs. She handed one over to both Stefan and her mother, before grabbing hers and settling down next to Liz.

"Chamomile with a dash of mint, just the way you like it" she said.

"As for identifying the victims, you can only spot the fine details if you have a really good eyesight, like ours. Stefan and I visited the other areas where the attacks took place and Damon was with you today. We came up with a few similarities that matched all four attack sites" Caroline responded.

"What similarities?" Liz finally asked after a few minutes.

Damon shifted forward in his seat before answering.

"All four women were quite healthy, small in size and could easily be overpowered by someone even slightly larger than their size. But the disturbingly common trait that all of them share, is that they are all brunettes" he stated seriously as he watched Liz's reaction.

Before Liz could even process what Damon said, her cell phone rang.

"Sheriff Forbes" she answered, as she listened to whatever the caller on the other side had to say. It was clearly one of her officers that were out on patrol.

"Call the Forks Police Department, ask for Charlie Swan and tell him that he needs to leave for Mystic Falls earlier than scheduled, and that I will contact him as soon as I can" she ordered quickly before cutting the call.

Damon was the first to break the strained silence.

"What was that all about?" he questioned as he motioned towards her phone. Liz swallowed before firmly answering.

"There's been an animal sighting. A huge wolf was spotted just outside the perimeter of Mystic Falls not long ago"


End file.
